For Immediate release: Thursday, 4 September 2014
Chevrolet’s 12 Tips for Maximizing Savings with Lower
Fuel Prices
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Take advantage of lower fuel prices – save more by driving efficiently in the
city and on the highways
Tire pressure, heavy loads, excessive idling and high speeds waste fuel
Driving efficiently (not slowly) also increases safety
Bangkok, Thailand – The Thai government has just announced drastic drops in fuel prices
– welcome news for many around Thailand. Here are more fuel-saving tips to take
advantage of lower fuel prices, maximize savings and stretch the mileage.
“Although Chevrolet vehicles are engineered with efficient, fuel-saving technologies, it still
takes maintenance to ensure your vehicle performs as efficiently as it did when it left the
factory,” said Ms. Saranya Yardsamer, Engineering Group Manager of ASEAN Powertrain
Product Engineering.
Mr. Supote Phuprasert, Chevrolet Sales Thailand’s director of Customer Care, added:
“Drivers can improve their own fuel economy for free by making some very minor behaviour
changes, such as ensuring that tires are inflated correctly, and the vehicle isn’t carrying any
unnecessary cargo.”
Check Tire Pressure Before Driving
Properly inflated tires improve mileage by up to 3.3 percent, are safer and last longer.
Under-inflated tires can lower fuel economy by 0.3 percent for every one pound-per-squareinch drop in the pressure of all four tires because they increase rolling resistance, requiring
more power (and fuel) to keep the vehicle moving. Mr. Supote recommends investing in a
reliable tire gauge and check your pressures regularly, ideally once a week. Properly inflated
tires also provide proper traction that aids steering response and improves braking
performance.
Avoid Modifying Wheel and Tire Sizes
It may look cool filling the wheel-well with oversized rims and ultra-low profile tires, but this
increases fuel consumption. Larger rims and tires also increase rolling resistance, un-sprung
weight and affect aerodynamics, using more fuel, and may affect ride quality. In extreme
cases, it could dangerously affect braking and handling.
Leave Unnecessary Weight at Home
Going on a road trip usually means carrying more weight, but don’t overdo it, Mr. Supote
said. More power (and fuel) is required to move more weight, so keep your vehicle light.
Carrying unneeded cargo will make your vehicle work harder and use more fuel. An extra 45
kilograms reduces fuel economy up to 2 percent – even more in smaller vehicles. A loaded
roof rack cuts fuel economy by up to 5 percent. About a quarter of each gallon of gas goes
toward overcoming wind resistance, so when cargo rides on top of the vehicle, fuel economy
is reduced.
Ensure Proper Maintenance
Dirty air filters, oil, defective oxygen sensors and spark plugs, amongst others, contribute to
poor fuel economy. A properly tuned engine can improve fuel economy about 4 percent.
Fixing a serious issue – such as faulty oxygen sensor – can boost mileage up to 40
percent. Replacing a severely plugged filter improves fuel economy by up to 14 percent.
Mr. Supote recommends using the manufacturer’s recommended grade of oil because it
improves fuel economy by 1 percent to 2 percent. And don’t ignore a service-engine-soon
light. Have your vehicle maintained by a Chevrolet authorized service center to ensure that
correct fluids and genuine parts are used.
Check the Fuel Cap
Loose or poorly fitting gas gaps not only trigger a “check engine light” warning, they send
nearly 518 million litres of fuel into the air as vapour every year, according to a report by the
Discovery Channel. A missing or poorly fitting cap reduces fuel economy by 1 to 2 percent.
Consider Using a Blended Fuel
Using fuels with a higher mix of ethanol may reduce the cost to a certain extent. All
Chevrolet models powered by gasoline engines are capable of running on E20 fuel. Captiva,
Cruze and Sonic also are E85-capable, further lowering costs while being more
environmentally-friendly. Colorado and Trailblazer’s new Duramax turbo-diesel engine is
another fuel-efficient option.
Slow Down
It takes more fuel to get a vehicle moving than to keep it moving. Accelerate smoothly out of
junctions and away from traffic lights. Hard acceleration, excessive speed and hard braking
can lower fuel economy by 33 percent on the highway and 5 percent in city driving. For most
vehicles, the most fuel-efficient speed is between 65 and 100 kilometers per hour. Fuel
economy usually decreases rapidly at speeds above 96 kph.
Use Higher Gears
When driving with a manual transmission, like the six-speed offered on Colorado and
Trailblazer, Ms. Saranya recommends using the highest gear where possible to keep engine
revolutions low because lower revolutions use less fuel. Do not overdo this and “lug” or stall
the engine. If you are driving with an automatic transmission, ease your foot off the
accelerator (do not remove it entirely) to allow the transmission to “change up” to a higher
gear. All Chevrolet models with automatic transmission feature six-speed transmissions with
taller-ratio top gears to reduce engine revs at cruising speeds, saving fuel. Try to avoid using
“Hold” unnecessarily.
Keep Calm and Cruise On
If your vehicle comes with cruise control, like the Captiva LT and LTZ, use it, especially on
the highway. Cruise control prevents speeding and helps improve fuel economy via gentle
acceleration and deceleration. It is most effective when used in conjunction with the
transmission in “economy” or “auto’ mode. Do not use cruise control in heavy rain or on
extremely wet roads.
Coast or Downshift to a Stop
When driving an automatic transmission vehicle in slow-moving traffic you can coast up to
the car ahead because automatic transmission vehicles creep forward. Ms. Saranya
recommends downshifting up to a stop if driving a manual transmission. Taking your foot off
the accelerator while the vehicle is in gear, a modern engine uses almost no fuel, just
enough to keep it from stalling. An engine uses more fuel while idling with the transmission
in neutral.
Avoid Excessive Idling
If you have to wait in bumper-to-bumper traffic, Ms. Saranya recommends turning off the
engine. Idling burns fuel without adding mileage. A car gets 0 kpg when the engine is idling:
While it does take a small amount of fuel to restart a vehicle, 15 minutes of barely moving
forward can burn nearly a liter of fuel.
Use Air-Con Wisely
Air-con reduces fuel efficiency by up to 10 percent. If outdoor temperatures allow, consider
using a higher fan speed to circulate the air instead of lowering the temperature setting, and
avoid using the air-con at speeds below 40 mph by rolling down the windows. At speeds
above 72 kph, wind drag uses more fuel than running the air-con.
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About Chevrolet Sales Thailand
Chevrolet Sales Thailand (Chevrolet) Limited was established on January 1, 2000, as a subsidiary of
General Motors, one of the largest automakers in the world. The first vehicle introduced was the
Chevrolet Zafira, the first multipurpose vehicle (MPV) launched in the Thai market. Today, Chevrolet
has a comprehensive range of vehicles, including Sonic, Spin, Cruze, Captiva, Colorado and
Trailblazer. Chevrolet is committed to offering the best cars and trucks to its customers in terms of
quality, performance and fuel economy. The company is equally committed to ensuring second-tonone aftersales service for its customers, backed by a growing dealer network in Thailand and
Southeast Asia. For more information, please visit www.chevrolet.co.th , http://media.gm.com/ or
www.facebook.com/chevyclub
You may also contact:
Prinda Udomwong
Senior Manager, Corporate Communications
General Motors (Thailand) Limited
Chevrolet Sales (Thailand) Limited
prinda.udomwong@gm.com
Tel : +66 2791 4811
Mobile: +66 092-253-9456
Kristopher Spencer
Weber Shandwick Thailand
kspencer@webershandwick.com
Tel +66 2343 6000 Ext. 065
Mobile +66 0 925 522 018
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